Our Special Erin

Our sweet Erin turned eight two weeks after moving to The Netherlands. She was sad to leave her friends in Jeddah. She was sad that her plans to be baptized in the Red Sea were not going to be realized. She was sad to think about no family or friends attending her baptism. This in turn made us hurt for her. There was nothing we could do to change the timing. Her birthday was on the fifteenth of August and school began on the seventeenth with new student orientation the week before. As our children have probably heard much too frequently, you put on a happy face and do the best you can.

On our third Sunday at church Erin was baptized. We attend an English-speaking branch of our church located in Leiden. It is made up of a few Americans and several other nationalities.

Erin looked beautiful. She asked Kennedy and me to both give talks. Ethan led the music and, in addition, he, Kennedy and Abby performed a musical number. Erin also gave a wonderful talk on why she was being baptized. Again, it was a day of mixed emotions as none of our extended family members were there, but we felt embraced by our church friends and Dano’s friends from work who also very kindly came. In all there were over seventy people. Erin was surprised and would never have thought there would be so many. I think she felt very loved and special.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal of pulled pork sandwiches and lots of food brought by the members of the branch. We surprised Erin with a flower and candy lei. Since living in Hawaii, it has been tradition to make these for special occasions. I found the local garden/floral shop and special-ordered carnations. When we went to pick them up, they were the size of a nickel. The florist kindly apologized and said they just don’t have carnations or requests for them here. I thought they were a wonderfully universal flower. (They should be!!) Dano and I quickly went for a second choice and found fifty of these daisy-type flowers. Kennedy and I strung them up Sunday morning to make a beautiful lei. (Though I think the candy lei was a bigger hit.)
I am so grateful that anywhere we go, we will have friends waiting at church. I think Erin has learned that. I am grateful for a daughter that, underneath it all, truly understands it’s not about who is in attendance or where you’re baptized. It’s about the covenants you’re making and following in the footsteps of Jesus.

What a special girl Erin is. How we love her!